Beverage dispensing systems, particularly faucets for the pouring of draught beer or other naturally and/or artificially pressurized beverages, are well known. Typical pressurized beverages such as draught beer, contain a pressurizing medium, which is commonly a gas such as carbon dioxide. This pressurization medium can be naturally occurring, for instance, as a result of a fermentation process, and/or it can be added to the beverage, when made, and/or while in a container or flow line from which it is to be dispensed. Common pressurization levels are between about 10 and about 20 psi.
Typical known faucet constructions comprise a housing or body defining a flow path for the beer or other beverage from a pressurized flow line or container, to a dispensing outlet such as a spout or nozzle. The flow of the beverage is controllable by a hand actuator in connection with a valve assembly, typically having valve barrel or head disposed within the housing along the flow path and including an annular valve surface or gasket, e.g., of a rubbery material, that can be brought to bear against a mating annular valve seat also within the housing and disposed about a portion of the flow path, for creating a sealed condition which will prevent flow of the beverage and maintain the pressurization. In a known construction referred to commonly as an American style faucet, the valve head is disposed in the flow path so as to be at least largely immersed in the beverage in a manner such that the pressurization of the liquid urges the valve head against the valve seat for maintaining the sealed condition, either alone, or in combination with an external force, e.g., exerted by the lever when in its closed position. In this construction, the valve assembly includes a valve stem that extends through a portion of the flow path between the valve seat and a dispensing outlet, to connect the valve head to a lever, handle, or other hand actuator. Most familiar is an upstanding lever disposed above the spout and pivotable relative thereto through a limited range of movement for closing and opening the faucet by moving the valve head via the valve stem, into and out of sealed engagement with the valve seat.
In the known American beer faucet configuration, the faucet housing is oriented about horizontal, with the valve stem also extending horizontally through a portion of the flow path, and the flow path curving down to the spout or nozzle. The valve head will be supported on or comprise one end of the valve stem, which will also be horizontal, and supported for longitudinal horizontal movement along the portion of the flow path within the housing. The lower end of the upstanding lever, handle, etc., will include some kind of connection, such as a ball and socket or fork type pivotal connection, to a second end of the valve stem within the housing, so as to be pivotable for moving the valve stem, and the valve head, longitudinally and horizontally relative to the valve seat.
Essentially, during operation of the known faucets, the actuator, e.g., lever, valve stem, and valve head, are in force transmitting contact, such that forces exerted by the operator through the actuator, e.g., lever, handle, etc., to the valve stem are exerted substantially directly and instantaneously against the valve head, for urging and pushing it in opposition to the pressurization in the beverage line or container, away from the valve seat, at a speed generally governed by the speed of movement of the lever.
Generally, the above described faucet operates well for dispensing carbonated beverages such as beer when used by an experienced operator such as a professional or experienced bartender, but a shortcoming observed to arise, particularly when operated by less experienced persons, is a tendency for the dispensed beer to often contain more than a desired amount of foam. Through observation and investigation, it has been found that one significant source of excessive foaming is opening the faucet too slowly. Apparently, if a faucet is slowly opened, gas, in the form of carbon dioxide naturally occurring in and/or added to beverages such as draught beer, can be released through the valve at a larger than desirable rate, and results in break up of the liquid and excessive foaming condition in the dispensed beverage. This shortcoming can be alleviated in many instances by rapidly manually opening the faucet, but non-professional operators don't typically know this, and, as a result, dispensing is more time consuming, much beer is lost, and customer satisfaction is reduced.
What is sought therefore, is a manner of, and/or apparatus for, dispensing carbonated beverages via a faucet of a dispensing system, particularly, draught beer, and for use by non-professionals, which overcomes the shortcoming set forth above, yet which allows easily controlling flow rate of the dispensed beverage.